


Putting On a Show

by shslundertaker



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Circus, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Relationships, Developing Friendships, Ensemble Cast, Friendship, Gen, Kiibo instead of K1-B0 or Keebo, Multi, Slow Burn, circus aus are my life okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 00:42:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13376481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shslundertaker/pseuds/shslundertaker
Summary: Maki can turn around and leave this place if she wants to, she knows that. She can leave this colorful circus with even more colorful characters behind and go back to her old life.She finds she doesn't want to.





	Putting On a Show

Maki knocks on the door and expects no answer. It opens anyways.

  
A blonde girl stands there, backlit by the yellow light from inside the building. Her leotard sparkles as she leans forward, eyes wide.

“Hello?”

“Hi. I’m Maki Harukawa. I heard about your advertisement.” She holds up the paper with the bright-colored circus tent emblazoned on it, and the girl nods in understanding.

“Welcome to the circus! I’m Kaede Akamatsu,” she chirps as she turns to go back in the building.

“...”

“Well, aren’t you going to come in? It’s chilly out there!” she remarks, looking over her shoulder expectantly as if Maki can’t feel the stinging chill.

“...Is that it?”

“Is what it?”

“You’re just going to let me in like that?” Kaede positively beams.

“Of course! I like the vibes I’m getting from you, and….” she lowers her voice, and whispers, but it’s a stage whisper. “Don’t tell Amami I told you… but we’re in need of a new performer, stat.” With that, she enters the building.

At this point, Maki knows she can run, bolt from this place and her hesitations and calm her fears.

She follows into the building anyways.

 

* * *

   
The mat is hard against her back, but Maki throws herself against it and revels in the satisfying thump.

She then arches back and kicks her legs up, higher and higher until she rolls back and ends up with legs parted in a split. The red fabric of her outfit falls around her satisfyingly, blending with her long dark hair pulled free from her bun. She smiles as she rises to her feet and spins and leaps and kicks until the music comes to a stop, and she finishes with a pose.

A smile crosses Kaede's face as she applauds, ribbon wands tucked into the crook of her arm. Maki's stiff muscles relax and she stands, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and shifting from one foot to the other. She puffs her cheeks out.

"What did you think?"

"It was ama-"

"Mmmmm.... Maki!" A scowl crosses her face as Ouma saunters nearer. "It was almost good this time! All you gotta do is add a few more flips here and there, and maaaaaaybe some floorwork! Then you might be able to travel with us!"

"Shut up, you damn brat," Maki spits, even though she takes note of the things that he says. He cackles and darts away, heading over to where the black-haired Shuuichi Saihara dangles upside down from the lyra. Kaede waves him off with a sparkling grin and Maki sighs.

"I don't get how you get along with him,” she says as she stretches her arms behind her head and arches her back. “I’ve just met him today and he already rubs me the wrong way.” Kaede shrugs, and flips her golden ponytail over her shoulder.

“He’s sweet once you get to know him...” Maki looks at her with a dead expression, and Kaede sighs. “Here, I’ll change the subject. I added something new to my routine!” That sparks Maki’s interest, and she immediately sits down. Even if she stretches her legs out and her arms to her toes, it’s obvious that she’s waiting for Kaede to show her. The ribbon dancer nods in understanding and moves to the speaker, switching out Maki’s phone with her own purple-cased one.

Sweet music starts spilling out of the speaker, and Kaede bends and sways and twirls and jumps to the slow rhythm, pink and purple ribbons trailing in rays of satiny splendor behind her, in spirals and in waves.

The thing about Kaede Akamatsu was that she commanded attention. When Kaede had started her music, most everyone was off doing their own thing, practicing their own acts. Around halfway through the dance, though, Kaede had drawn a crowd that was more than just Maki. When she finishes the dance, eyes closed and chest heaving with every deep breath, the people who were at the studio today had gathered close, bunching around her and applauding lightly. She giggled and took a deep bow.

“Wow! Atua would reeeally like that performance,” Angie, supposed master of silks, bubbles, bouncing on the balls of her feet and clapping her hands in time. Her current aerials partner, Tenko, nods, sidling closer and eyeing the red-headed magician next to her.

“What did you think, Himiko?” Yumeno yawns and tugs her hat down further over her face.

“Nyeh… I liked it…” Everyone else pipes in with various compliments, until eventually disperse back to their own activities. Kaede exhales in relief and sinks down on the mat next to Maki, who lets out a puff of air.

“You’d think they’d have other things to do.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. They’re all just really nice people!”

“If you say so.”

“I do! Now! How are you liking it here?” Kaede crosses her legs and Maki draws hers close to her chest.

“Sudden, much? Shouldn’t we be practicing?” The ribbon dancer waves her hand nonchalantly.

“We’re doing fiiine! Anyways, if Amami comes to see us, we can just tell him we’re reviewing your part in the next show! Speaking of… have you decided what you want to do in the upcoming show?” Maki twists her hair nervously- she had wanted to avoid this question. Still, she guesses she can’t put it off for too long.

“I guess I’ll do an acrobatic routine… and something with daggers, if possible?” Maki remembers the feeling of daggers in her hand from only earlier this day, and all she knows is she wants to hold the hilt again.

“Of course! You know… for your first time, I’ve never seen someone with such talent with the weapons on their first day!” She shifts under Kaede’s sweet stare and finally shrugs.

“Maybe it’s just the right thing for me.” Kaede’s eyes narrow a little bit, but then she shakes her head.

“Whatever the case, I’m glad you decided to join us. Now, what time is it? Amami said that at 4:00 we could go introduce you to the other people here. I know you’ve talked to a few and seen a couple others already, but now you can go have better conversations with them!”

“...” Maki remained silent, but Kaede latches on to her hand and drags her to her feet, already on the path to the lady on the rope hanging from the ceiling.

“Kirumi!” Kaede yells from the bottom of the rope. In a flash, a green-haired woman has lowered herself to the floor, still gripping the rope.

“Akamatsu. Do you require my service?”

“Nope! I just wanted to introduce you to our newest member!” She splays open her palms and gestures to Maki, who raises a hand in a small wave.

“I’m Kirumi Tojo,” the woman says with no change in expression. Still, Maki feels like there’s a small, barely perceptible shift underneath, and immediately she feels safer around her.

“Maki Harukawa.” She shakes the woman’s calloused hands, and steps back.

“Kirumi is our reigning master of the corde lisse,” Kaede says, pointing at the smooth rope attached to the rafters. As if to demonstrate, Kirumi immediately starts climbing the string, with the speed and grace as a spider crosses its web to reach its prey. Once she finds herself high enough, she curls her leg through a length of rope she looped, and immediately drops herself. Breath catches in Maki’s throat as Kirumi hangs upside down by her ankle, holding on below her with one hand. Ever so slowly, she draws out her legs until her body and the rope form a sort of oblong diamond.

Maki stays in silence as Kirumi lowers herself to the ground, wrapping the rope around as she falls closer to the ground, until the rope finally reaches its length and catches her, suspending her a few inches from the ground, her back arched and her green hair slightly sweeping the floor.

Kaede and Maki both clap politely as Kirumi poses for a minute before shimmying up the rope again. Kaede takes Maki’s wrist and draws her away, toward the next collection of people.

“Kirumi is really responsible,” she whispers as they leave. “Ouma actually calls her mom, as does Gonta.” Maki smirks with relief at this, seeing that someone else had drawn the lot of caretaker role first. “Speaking of Gonta… hi!”

There’s nothing beside a few, maybe several grey dogs sleeping in a pile. At the sound of Kaede, they all perk their ears up and turn their heads sharply to look at her. Shock washes over Maki as she realizes they’re not dogs, rather wolves. Their sharp teeth gleam as they open their mouths in varied yawns. Her hands find Kaede’s arm, and starts to draw her back, but then someone with an extremely large form sits up, and the wolves start licking his face, and he laughs and throws his arms around the nearest ones.

  
“Gonta Gokuhara, resident animal trainer,” Kaede says with a soft smile as she observes the laughing bunch. Maki crosses her arms and tries to suppress the grin tugging at her lips at the scene. He finally seems to notice the girls and gets up to his feet almost instantly.

“Kaede! Gonta didn’t get a chance to tell you how your routine was earlier! Gonta really enjoyed it…”

“Thanks! Say, have you met our new member?” She points to Maki, who nods. “Her name is Maki Harukawa!” Gonta beams the brightest smile Maki’s ever seen in a while and she smiles back.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Gonta’s name is Gonta! And this is his family,” he cheers, gesturing to the wolves sitting behind him, tails wagging. “I hope we can be good friends!” The red-eyed girl nods as Gonta moves back to go work with his animal crew, and they move on.

Next, Kaede pulls her over to the three girls in one corner, almost obscured by the colorful lengths of fabric hanging from the ceiling. Maki recognizes them as Tenko, Himiko, and Angie, from what little information Kaede told her earlier. Tenko immediately rises to her feet when she sees them, though Himiko appears to be sleeping while Angie remains in her meditative state.

“Hello!” Tenko waves eagerly, oddly-shaped pigtails swinging behind her as she comes over. “Kaede, and… the new member?” Her eyes widen as she takes in Maki from head to toe. “A new girl! We needed some with all the… menaces here.” She glowers as she says ‘menaces’. Before Maki can ask what she means by menaces, Angie skips over.

“Welcome! Welcome! Wow! Atua said there’d be a new member soon, but not when! This is a great surprise! Angie’s pleased to meet you!” She says this all so quickly and with such enthusiasm that it causes Maki to take a step back almost reflexively.

“Nyeh…” a new voice drawls, “ _I_ knew she was coming today… because of my magic!” Himiko has come over in the time Maki was processing Angie’s attitude, and she’s clutching a deck of cards to her chest.

“Wow, Himiko!” Tenko gushes, “Your magic is soooo cool!” The red-headed supposed-magician nods serenely, even though she looks slightly satisfied by Tenko’s reaction.

“I’d tell you more about her… but my MP is low at the moment… I need to take a nap…”

“I’ll give you a piggyback ride, Himiko!”

“...Okay…”  
They leave before Maki can even introduce herself, but she imagines that they’ll find it out soon enough. This is a pretty small bunch, in the end. In fact, she wonders why Kaede even tries introducing her to everyone.

She doesn’t really bother asking her, though, as instead they draw near to the next two people, one standing stock still while the other flutters around like a butterfly, seeming to take measurements.

As they come into a more detailed view, Maki eyes the mask that obscures the mouth of the one standing stock still. There’s no change in his expression as he locks eyes with her, but the one taking measurements pops up and snaps the measuring tape back into its original position.

“Hello, Akamatsu, Harukawa! Are you here for your fitting already? Just let me finish up with Shinguuji her-”

“Oh, it’s okay!” Kaede interrupts, with a wave of her hand. “I just brought Maki over to introduce her, but it seems like you know about her already.”

“Oh yeah! Korekiyo was just telling me about her when you came over.” He nods solemnly, still holding his arms out despite Tsumugi not continuing her measurements. Kaede sweatdrops, itching the side of her head with one finger.

“Korekiy- sorry, Kiyo, knows a lot about everyone here. No one knows how he knows it,” she says in a whisper, and Maki nods solemnly. She knows a few people like that.

“I merely pay attention to my surroundings. I can tell you’re whispering about to Maki at the moment, Kaede.” His cadmium eyes flash as he talks. “However, I’ll introduce myself anyways. I am Korekiyo Shinguuji. I do the tightrope,” he says as he points upward toward the taut rope, “And also puppetry, should the occasion call for it.” Tsumugi, who’s been watching in general silence, clasps her hands.

“I’m Tsumugi Shirogane!” she chirps. “I’m just a costume maker for this group, but it’s a full-time job.” She tilts her head sheepishly at this, and Maki can sense Kaede almost smirking next to her, but when she looks Kaede’s smiling politely as usual.

“Tsumugi’s work is stunning,” Kaede remarks. “You’ve probably seen some pictures of our acts, no?” Maki nods, and she continues. “Tsumugi designed all of the costumes! She’s a wizard with fabrics… none of us can ever figure out how she does it.”

“A magician never reveals her trade, Kaede!” Tsumugi admonishes playfully, “You always ask me this…”

“I know… Still! Never hurts to try. Alright, we should go finish the introductions, and then we can come back to a conversation, mmkay?” Korekiyo is still holding the pose, but Tsumugi waves them goodbye as she goes back to getting measurements.

“Don’t mind Korekiyo,” Kaede says as they move to the hoop hanging from the ceiling. “He seems a bit creepy at times, but he means well!”

“You say that about everyone…”

“That’s because we’re all really nice here!” Maki sighs as they approach the final two.

“Makiiiiii!” Ouma immediately falls back from where he was hanging onto the hoop and skips over to her. “You came to visit me! I’m so touched!” The person he was helping at the moment hops down from his position and walks over without the energy that Ouma constantly seems to have.

“Hey. I’m Shuuichi Saihara.” He sticks his hand out and Maki shakes it with no further grandeur. “I do the lyra, as seen over there.”

“And I’m Kokichi Ouma! You hear that? You better not forget my name! Anyways, I’m the contortionist and also clown. Wanna see me doing my job? Well, too bad! You’re going to have to wait till the next performance, okaaaaayyyy?” Maki narrows her eyes at him, and he steps back, pout on his face. “Don’t look at me like that! Wow, you’re really cold-hearted.”

“Sorry about him,” Saihara says, looking tired. This must happen a lot, Maki realized, feeling the slightest bit of pity for the black-haired person. “He has a lot of energy.”

“Heeeeey, has Maki met everyone here yet?”

“Yeah!” Kaede pipes in, “She just needs to meet the people who aren’t here today, and they’re arriving tomorrow, right?” Ouma beams.

“Yup yup! Hoshi, my dear Rantarou, pig, robo-boy, and Kaito!” He lists them all off on his fingers in a sing-song tone. Maki throws a questioning look at Saihara in response to Ouma’s nicknames, but he just shrugs. “Now that you’ve fiiiiinally met everyone, now we can start preparing for the show!”

“...When is the show exactly?”

“Aw, the first one is in a few days, actually, but that one’s just watch and learn! You don’t get to join until the next one, which isssssss… in two weeks!” His tone is light and airy, and Maki frowns.

“I guess that’s alright. What do I do for the rest of today, though?” Kaede puffs out her cheeks in thought, and folds her arms.

“Nothing I can think of right now, so I guess you can go home now!”

“Okay.” The response is lackluster, Maki knows, but she can’t find the energy in her when she thinks about home.

If home is where the heart is, then Maki doesn’t have one. The home is more a house to her, and even then it barely reaches the limit. Thoughts of the apartment with painted walls that are so thin she can hear the neighbor’s sobs as they break up with a new partner almost weekly, and the bed that’s barely large enough for her and stiff so she sleeps on the ratty couch with stuffing pouring out of the corner.

There’s a lot of nights where she sits at the dining table and sips from her glass of water (not alcohol, thank you very much,) and stares at her dim surroundings, pondering if this space would be any better if it wasn’t as lonely. The answer is always “probably”, but she knows it’s probably never going to change.

As Maki sinks in her melancholy, she doesn’t realize she’s been staring blankly right behind Saihara’s head. When she snaps out of it, she sees him nod in understanding that only seems to be for himself. Before she can turn to leave, he speaks.

“Ah, Maki, do you mind staying here for a minute? I just have to ask Kaede something.” Next to her, the blonde ribbon dancer snaps to attention.

“Huh? Oh.” With that, she follows Saihara’s gesture to come over to an area, just out of earshot from where she stands. Her eyes glare at the pair as they whisper frantically, and she almost forgets Ouma is there until he snorts.

“No need to be worried, Maki. They’re probably not gossiping about you or wondering whether they should kick you out of the circus…”

“Shut up.”

“Okay!” Even as he does it, she sort of wishes she didn’t ask him to that, because now it’s painfully quiet, despite the light chatter that rises from the other people in the room. Saihara and Kaede return before she can consider leaving, though, and she waits for their verdict with tired eyes.

“We’ve come to a decision,” Kaede says. “Shuuichi here noticed that you seemed a little disappointed about going home-” Saihara flushes and pulls his hat down in embarrassment, but Maki doesn’t care. All her attention is focused on Kaede as she speaks. “We just thought it might be good to let you know that we actually have some room in one of the caravans!” She throws her thumb over her shoulder, and Maki peers out the window to see several (4, exactly) caravans outside the building.

  
“We rent trucks to pull them when we travel,” Saihara explains. “We have one bed open in… that one.” He points to the one on the far right. “That’s currently where Kirumi, Miu, and Shirogane stay. They’ve all got bathrooms and kitchenettes and stuff, so you’ll be comfortable there.”

“...How much is rent?”

“Rent?” Kaede looks like she’s holding in a laugh. “You don’t have to pay rent! Just be a part of the circus, and you can stay as long as you like!”

“Oh.”

“Welllll?” Ouma, who’s been sitting cross-legged on the floor, giggles. “What do you say?”

“...Okay.”

“Yay!” Kaede cheers, then pouts. “Hey… you get Kirumi in your room. I’m really jealous. She keeps everything really clean…” Maki shrugs. She’s only met two out of the three people she’ll be rooming with, but they seem to be pleasant enough. “You don’t have to stay there full-time, mind you. You can, of course! But you can also stay there once in a while, especially when we have performances coming up. What do you think you’ll do?”

“Full-time, I guess.”

“Do you have stuff to move? Because tomorrow we can do that,” Saihara interjects. Kaede nods, but Maki shakes her head.

“I can do it myself, thanks… I guess I’ll just head to the place now.” She looks over to see people already leaving the building to head back to where the caravans were.

“Kaede!” Ouma chastises. “You forgot to tell her about dinner!”

“Oh! Yeah! We have dinner together most of the nights. Usually Kirumi makes some food... “ Speaking of the acrobat, Maki turns to see no one at where the green-haired woman supposedly practiced. “I think she’s doing that right now,” Kaede explained when Maki looked at her quizzically.

“Are you going to join us?” Saihara asks, “We can always ask Kirumi to make a little extra.”

“Yeah. That’d be nice.”

Kaede glows at this, and immediately throws her arms around Maki and pulls her in for a hug.

“Welcome to the circus,” she whispers as Maki freezes, stiff as a board. “Welcome to the family.”

Family.

Maki thinks that doesn’t sound too bad.

 

**Author's Note:**

> i'll be mad at myself if i don't continue this
> 
> also other characters will come in next chapter i just didn't want to write more introductions


End file.
